Il Postino
This week we’re watching Il Postino so lets blog on that. Look for recurrent images that become symbols. Try to articulate what the movie says about metaphor. Consider the strange relationship between beauty and our awareness or perception of beauty. Feel free to make other observations about the film. I’m particularly fascinated by the trajectory of their relationship.
March 27th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Ther are a few imagies that have struck me asd intersting. ONe image is that of the shabby, worn-down sbuildings of the little town. They all seem to be old, and falling apart; their interiors seem to be dark and lacking vibrance. I think that this could be a strong metaphor for a few things. One could be that the director sought to portray the little village as unenlightened, not well educated and possibly ignorant to the satisfaction that can be obtained through insights through observation. The natives seem to be “in the dark” to certain life possibilities. The main character could be the overriding symbol of this idea of being “in the dark.” Naruda actually had to tell him to walk along the coast and appreciate its beauty. The postman constantly sees the beatiful coast and the mountains (which I are metaphorical too, I’m sure), but fails to truely observe them. He asks Naruda for help in writing a poem to a girl because he thinks he is incapable of good metaphors. But, he is surrounded by things that could be used as metaphors to the beauty of women, to the beauty of life, to the joy of living; he merely needs to observe, become educated in his own way with his own observations, and get out of the dark, old city that has cultivated his inability to observe beauty.
March 27th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
This movie opens up the world of poetry. It shows how poets get their insppiration for their poetry. They take their own experiences, and think what things in nature can symbolize them. They use a lot of colors to describe their emotions. Light colors are used to describe happiness, and dark colors are used to describe saddness. This movie also shows how lonely the lifestyle of a writer is. Writers are always locked up in their house coming up with new poems. The spend most of their time rewriting most of their work, and their poems take while to get published. Their poems usually don’t get published until after they are dead. They seem to never get to enjoy their success, or feel rewarded for their work. This movie made me appriecate poetry because I saw all of the work that goes into writing a poem.
March 27th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
First of all, the scene in which Mario is questioning Neruda about what a metaphor is, really sticks out in my mind. As best as I can remember, their discussion went something along the lines of:
Mario: “Give me an example of a metaphor.”
Neruda: “When you say the sky is weeping, what do you mean?”
Mario: “It’s raining.”
Neruda: “See, that’s a metaphor.”
The movie portrays a metaphor as being simple and anything you make it. I also recall Neruda saying that it is not a comparison, as Mario originally thinks it is. I am captured by the interaction of the two men and especially Mario’s view of how the women flock towards Neruda because he is a poet. Neruda is so lost in his poetry and Mario is enthralled by it, slowly coming to appreciate the feelings evoked by the words that Neruda speaks and writes. I also really appreciate the line that Neruda says, which includes, “Poetry is so much more thought and feeling provoking. It flows and makes everything seem so much more graceful than it actually is.” I feel that that line is so true. For me, poetry is relaxing and read for fun. I really enjoy reading happy and positive poetry, so I can really appreciate the serenity found within that. The most prominent symbol that I also noticed in the poem was Mario’s character. He seems so driven and so optimistic towards everything. He seems to provide hope and drive for the people. He will not let anything stop him from accomplishing a task, nor does he dwell on his job title. Instead, he is optimistic and positive with whomever he comes in contact with and seems appreciative of all his opportunities.
March 28th, 2008 at 9:17 am
During Il Postino, Pablo Neruda taught several interesting lessons to Mario Ruoppolo. Even as Neruda explained things, he did so in a poetic manner. As he taught Ruoppolo about what a metaphor was, even though the example he used of the sky weeping is actually personification, he told Ruoppolo that it would just come to him. At first I thought that was a lame answer and an excuse not to explain things further, but then I realized there is a lot of truth to that statement. As I take long bike rides and walks, I see many different things, and then when life events occur, my mind somehow makes a connection between the two. Even though they are completely different, it is almost as if our mind wants to think in metaphors. Another thing that I really liked that Neruda told Ruoppolo was, “When you explain poetry, it becomes banal.” I could really relate to that. It is as if someone tells a joke that someone does not understand, and after it is explained, it loses its humor. That seems to be the same thing with poetry. If poetry is explained, it becomes a little bit more boring, because the reader does not experience the initial surprise and learning of the mystery on his own.
March 28th, 2008 at 9:58 am
When poetry is made into film, the result is surely Il Postino. This movie is full of vivid images with metaphorical connotations. Like written poetry, Il Postino has many layers of meaning hidden behind the surface action.
I was most struck by the symbolism in this film. Every image seemed to allegorically communicate something else. For example, in the film we see Mario, the postman, a frustrated individual living in a small Italian village. He wants to go places he cannot, and is thus feels bored and trapped in his small community. We see his village, unkempt and run down; it is the place where Mario stores all of his great frustrations. We also see Pablo Neruda, a world renowned poet. Living in exile because of his communism, yet living in comfort, Neruda exemplifies one who has broken free of the bonds life has place on him. He achieved his inner freedom through language. As Mario slowly develops a relationship with Neruda, the film may be suggesting that Mario too, will learn to find inner freedom through poetic expression.
Mario also falls in sudden although deep love with Beatrice Russo. He cannot adequately express his love to her, however, and is further frustrated by his own inability to communicate his emotions. Beatrice may represent the goal that Mario’s subtle, inner journey wills to accomplish. If he can learn to express himself, and use language to free his spirit, then perhaps he can use that same language to appeal to her.
March 28th, 2008 at 11:42 am
The image that caught my attention the most was the frame of the mountain ridge that keeps popping up. When Mario rides his bike to deliver mail to his one and only customer, he passes a mountain ridge. I think the film director has purposefully repeated this shot. In the scene, Mario just passes by and does not even notice the beauty that I easily see in the scene. This even correlates with the scene on the beach when Mario asks Pablo if he really thinks this place is beautiful. It gives us this sense that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Mario does not understand why anyone would say such a thing, probably because he only looks at the negatives (no water, no jobs, no money). But Pablo sees it very easily because he has tuned his mind to do so. I think at the end of the movie, Mario will have acquired some of the same skills.
March 28th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
I was only able to see the second half of the movie today, but even in that short time I felt as if I came to know and understand the characters and the depth of their relationships and beings. The movie was very symbolic and made many great implications. They talked a lot about metaphor, and Mario spoke often in metaphor to Beatrice to communicate his love. Pablo also spoke in metaphor often, giving depth and meaning to what he said. His words really emphasized his points and gave beauty to even the most regular things. I thought it was interesting how the aunt of Beatrice was so upset about Mario using the metaphors to seduce her daughter, and how she didn’t really understand what a metaphor even was. She saw metaphor as a bad thing at first, when in reality it was just a way to truly and purely express his love. Also, I liked that in the end she kept quoting that “a bird that has eaten, flies away” and I thought that was interesting because it seemed very symbolic about Pablo and she was using the same kind of language that is indirect and persuasive that she had previously condemned. The story was beautiful and somewhat tragic, up to the point we saw, with the disappointment in the elections which seemed to correlate with the disappointment in Mario’s relationship with Pablo and his wife.
March 28th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”
This is a well-known saying which I think is supported in Il Postino. I think one of the things that poetry does (and in this case, making metaphors) is lead us to a greater awareness of beauty, and I see that in this movie. While developing a friendship with Neruda, Mario falls in love with poetry because it is expressing what he already knows. Mario even asks Neruda to explain poetry–it seems that he wants to understand why he already knows these truths put into precise language. Mario is told that it loses its magic (so to speak) once it is explained, and so Neruda does not explain it. Mario sees life differently than Neruda and so develops his own metaphors. It is through these metaphors that Mario is aware of beauty, and is able to better express the beauty he sees when he opens up his awareness of the world around him. Even by spending time being aware of beauty by looking for metaphors, Mario expands his observation of beauty; he sees a wider spectrum of beauty.
One token observation I had while watching this movie was that dominance and confidence (or lack thereof) was really shown by the positioning and speech of the characters; Mario tended to be sitting down in scenes with Neruda or Beatrice’s mother and spoke softly with unclear pronunciation. Neruda stood much taller and spoke very clearly and in much louder tones in general.
This film was very real and very beautiful. Even the shots that were silent or with only music were very meditative and filled with beauty themselves.
March 28th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
When the poet Neruda was punished by being exiled and sent to this far away island he must have been a little upset. Until he got there and realized the beauty and peacefulness of this island. He is then introduced to an innocent Mario who has little life experiences outside of his father’s fishing boat. I feel that Mario and Neruda were pure opposites in this movie.
However, as the movie goes on they both get closer to one another and both of their desires for poetry shines forth. Mario is introduced to metaphors as if he hasn’t been using them his whole life. I thought it was comical the time when Mario said a metaphor then proceeded to say that it didn’t count because he wasn’t trying to say it. But that is the cool thing about metaphors, we say them all the time whether we are trying to or not.
Mario uses poetry to show his love and express it to Beatrice even though the rest of the small town thinks he is nuts. It must have been frustrating for the couple and especially Mario with everyone not understanding him or appreciating poetry or even treating Beatrice in a loving manner instead of some sort of prize.
March 28th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
I was surprised by how funny Il Postino was. Amidst the humor there were so many great points being made about poetry. One scene that stuck out to me was when Pablo read his poem to Mario on the beach and Mario said that he felt “weird” listening to the poem. Pablo asked him why and Mario said it was because he felt like the poem was making him seasick. The poem gave the impression of rocking back and forth and Mario picked up on that. This was a great observation of how poetry can make us feel something just from the natural rhythm of the poem, even if it is in a different language. Pablo made another great point about poetry when Mario asked to explain why he picked certain words in a poem. Pablo said that to explain poetry is to make it banal. It takes all the mystery and interpretation out of a poem when you explain the meaning or why the poet chose certain words. There are so many other points of the movie where I wrote a quote or idea down. One of my favorite quotes was, “Poetry doesn’t belong to those who write it, but those who need it.” Although the poem means something specific to the poet, anyone can read a poem and use it to help enhance their understanding of something, as Mario did with Pablo’s poems about love and the world.
March 28th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
I’ve really enjoyed watching Il Postino for the past two class periods. All of the major elements of poetry are creatively portrayed through the humorous relationship between Mario and Don Pablo. The movie teaches us how powerful poetry truly is - powerful enough to have a poet banned from his own country and enable a humble postman to earn the love of his beautiful beloved. The movie also does a wonderful job at explaining what a metaphor is and how it is a part of our everyday lives. I loved watching Mario’s learning process and quest towards mastering metaphors. Don Pablo teaches us that images, and thus poetry, arise spontaneously - they come to us in their own time, not in ours. He also teaches us that better than any explanation that one could give about poetry and its elements is the experience/feelings poetry creates. I thought it was really interesting how all of this tied back to our discussion on the very first day of class.
“Poetry doesn’t lie…it belongs to those who need it.”
March 28th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
One thing I have really noticed is along the same lines as what Trey said: in addition to the island community appearing somewhat run-down, they have never had running water despite the government’s promises to deliver that. In a community of fishermen where education is probably not nearly as valued as a working job, it surely seems like an intellectual void. Therefore, it is an interesting change of fate for the main character Mario to come across Pablo Naruda. At the outset of the movie, Mario seems to be struggling with the life laid before him: he has an extreme dislike for the family tradition of fishing and forsakes the business to become a postman. Here is where he begins his quest towards a higher life, for through this job he meets his mentor and friend Pablo Naruda. Naruda teaches him about poetry and literature, and shows him that his cravings toward a higher life could be molded into something other than fishing.
Interestingly, once Naruda opened his eyes to metaphor and poetry (as well as pieces of communism), Mario becomes very keen towards the ignorance of the island community. The priest of the town calls communists cannibals, and even goes so far as to say that Pablo Naruda probably ate his children. Therefore, I think Chile is symbolic of enlightenment for two reasons. Naruda came from there, and to Chile he eventually returned. Furthermore, when Beatrice became pregnant, Mario had great plans to move to Chile to leave the ignorant people and give his child (whom he planned to name “Pablito” in honor of Naruda) a great education. I believe this movie is one about self-discovery, in which Mario learns about unleashing his creativity by his mentor Pablo Naruda.
March 28th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
This movie tended to remind me of the Count of Monte Cristo at first. The setting is the same with the high cliffs and the ocean bay. The story line also is similar. The postman is a simple soul who doesn’t know much about life. He is much like Edmond in the Count of Monte Cristo in this regard. The postman meets the famous poet in the movie, and seeks his guidance. This is similar to the guidance that was given to Edmond by the priest in the jail cell.
In both movies I really enjoyed watching the simpleton evolve and grow as both Edmond and The Postman have been. It gives us all a sense of comfort in that we can be who ever we want to be if we put our minds to it and never give up. In the end, The Postman gets the girl he wants, and Edmond becomes a wealthy count while also getting the girl of his dreams. Good endings to both movies.
March 28th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Water was a dominant image that stuck out to me in the movie Il Postino. There were many panoramic shots of the water and most of the characters went down to the ocean side when they were reflecting or processing their thoughts. I think that the image of water is a good metaphor for the theme of change in this movie. Water’s tide is always changing, going in and out. It keeps flowing, rolling, crashing and moving around. In this movie the characters went through many vacillating states over the course of time. Mario and Neruda’s relationship grew slowly, then flourished into a friendship, but then seemed strained when Neruda moved back to Chile. The relationship between Mario and Beatrice and even Beatrice’s mother changed, grew, flowed and crashed during the course of the film. Relationships, like water, are always changing, going through various states of calm and unrest. The dominant images of water help to bring out this fact of life in the movie.
March 28th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
One major recurring theme that I picked up on was the ocean waves. Pablo’s first metaphoric example to Mario is about waves, and much of Mario’s recorded message to Pablo is of the sounds of small and big waves. The ocean could become a symbol of the change in Mario’s life, but how through that change he changes others, like the waves do every time they wash up on shore. But just like the waves, there is a consistency to Mario’s life. He is always sincere, eager, passionate, loyal, and opinionated. These characteristics eventually lead to his death. In terms of beauty, Mario and Pablo’s relationship is very genuine. Pablo almost acts as a father figure, teaching Mario the ropes of “being a man,” and how to express himself artistically. Pablo is patient, kind, and quietly guiding towards Mario. Though, I believe that the apprentice impacted the teacher more deeply in the end.
March 28th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
How to respond to such a beautiful and heart-wrenching movie. Il Postino surprised me in so many ways (particularly the ending, which was of course a surprise for us all). First of all, somehow the fact that this movie is in Italian somehow makes it more beautiful and poetic than it might have been in English. The way words roll off their tongues is so sweet to the ears, and leaves you wanting to hear more, no matter WHAT they’re saying.
Surprise elements aside, I was most moved by Pablo’s ability to use metaphor and similes in his every day speech. He is a poet through and through, even when he’s not trying to be! There was one time when Pablo was speaking to Mario and in one minute there were two similes made – “blood gushing like roses” and “circles under the eyes like soup bowls.” They stood out to me because they aren’t typical things to say. I’ve never thought of blood like roses, but there is more than one way to see why this simile works.
The use of poetic devices becomes a way of life for these people. One of the many reasons that this movie is so moving is to see how their lives change when they interact so deeply with each other.
March 28th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Something that I thought was really touching in the movie was the eyes in which Mario viewed Pablo. He was like a God to him. He looked to him for advice with women, words and an outlook on life. It was amazing to me the position of stardom that Pablo was in. Why would Mario worship him so?
– This led me to look at our own social classes and our own stars. They are people, just as we are, and it is amazing how we view them to be up on a pedestal just because of their work. This isn’t a statement of bitterness or anger, just one of wonder. Why DO we do that? Pablo was no God to Mario. He was a man that was in touch with expression. It took a few simple explanations and words of wisdom and Mario was able to change his thinking to a more abstract approach. In doing so, he was able to create.
-We are all human. We all have the same abilities - just some hold a stronger passion or skill level than others….shoot for your dreams.
Great Movie
March 28th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
I’m kindof speechless to be honest.
The movie seems to articulate the role of metaphors to be… well, to describe… something - beauty, a feeling, an image, etc - that is otherwise inexpressible. It is a different language, but it comes from inside somewhere, and there is no other way to express what a metaphor says, and how a metaphor makes you feel.
As for beauty, it is one of those things that is difficult to describe its relationship with perception - maybe if I wrote a poem. But I think there is a level on which perceiving beauty takes away from it, and another level on which perception is the only way for it to exist. If no one perceives beauty, is anything actually beautiful? Does beauty exist if no one notices it? I think that beauty cannot be beauty unless someone is able to define what beautiful is. If I do not compare objects (for instance) and call one more pleasing than the other, but rather only consider them as mere objects, reflecting only on the pragmatic purpose of the objects and not their appearance, then one cannot be more beautiful because I have not known what beauty is.
Maybe.
March 28th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
I really liked this movie. It was both humorous and meaningful, and the deep meaning that I found in the film was between Neruda and Mario. I feel that their relationship was similar to the relationship between a poet and his or her reader. Neruda presented Mario with ideas, understanding, and beauty. Neruda commented on things that Mario hadn’t noticed during his life, and Mario learned to appreciate them. A poem can do that to the reader. A person can even say, “that is exactly what I was feeling” No wonder Mario formed a relationship/ love for Neruda. Like Mario, readers honor their favorite poets by making a change in their life.
March 28th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
The concept of metaphors seemed to open up a whole new perspective of life for Marco. Nerupa inspired his postman, with his own works and manner of speaking, to think of poetry as not a thing for literate and educated romantics, but as a language used to address the deeper meaning of everyday feelings, thoughts, images, etc.
A recurrent image in the film that I noticed was the sea during dawn. The color of the water nearly matched the color of the sky, and the silouettes of fishermen remind us that work was be done, regardless of how beautiful the surrounding area may be. I also captured this meaning during scenes when Marco, Nerupa, and Beatrice were seen staring out into the horizon, temporarily escaping the difficult situations they were dealing with.
This film inspired me, as good art often does, to seek deeper meaning in the things that I see, do, think, pray during every moment of my life. It allows me to spend more energy on contemplation than on foolish worries and stresses that often frustrate us.
March 28th, 2008 at 3:23 pm
The movie is completely different from any other movie I’ve ever seen. It moves slowly with barely any words. The lighting in the movie is dark, even when they are outside it’s gray. What I found the strangest was the relationship between Pablo and Mario. It was just odd that he was obsessed with him so much, but then again Pablo was basically Mario’s idol. The thing I most remember about metaphors in the movie, was when Mario told Beatrice that her smile spread like a butterfly, it’s just a beautiful metaphor. Also how Mario didn’t really understand what a metaphor was to begin with, but how he caught on quickly to what a metaphor was and is used for. Another interesting thing was even though he understood a metaphor and a poem, and wanted to be a poet he never really wrote a poem until before his death. It was crazy how ironic his death was, finally his dream of becoming something like Pablo is coming true and then he dies.
Mario reminded me of how poetry can help you see the beauty in simple things, and so did Pablo when they would describe things using metaphors. Also the rustic little town they lived in may look dirty to some people and poor, but its so simple and beautiful.
March 28th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
So basically the film starts with Pablo Neruda, a devout “communist” and poet, fleeing his home land, Chile. He comes to a little village on the coast of Italy, where he beautifully starts a wild fire. I see Pablo Neruda as a catalyst for a long awaited “revolution,” when he’s granted the opportunity to help Mario the postman express himself with the art of poetry.
The post man, who is a simple son of a fisherman, is cast into the path of Pablo Neruda by what I would call providence. This is obvious to me because of the perfection of time. The postman is clearly at a juncture in his life and was awaiting a sign; Pablo Neruda fleeing with his life becomes the long awaited sign.
With the birth of Metaphor into the postman’s life comes also the birth of love, and the birth of vision, and direction. It’s as though the postman finds new life lines in the shadows of Pablo Neruda’s vision. Kay and I have watched this movie before, so I know that the story ends with a tragedy that is also somehow a victory. Following his newly planted dream, the post man, after a long struggle, finally produces a poem for the “people” which costs him his life. Indeed his death was for the people.
March 28th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
I really enjoyed the second part of the movie today. The part that fascinated me most was the fact that the postman didn’t have much of an appreciation for poetry and the metaphor that Don Paublo used. You could see the transformation today as he started to appreciate what Don did and his detail in each poem. Another thing that I found interesting was when the postman was asked what was beautiful about the island and he didnt know. At the end of the movie he made a tape of things that were beautiful about the island and used sounds and images to help get the true beauty across.
One other observation that was noted in the past couple days was the confidence issue that the postman had. Within this the confidence that he had when trying to talk to Beatrice when he first met her. Throughout the film it was always awkward when he was interacting with another character. I’m not sure that this is because of his social class or because of confidence issues.
This movie has many metaphors that help describe the details about nature which I enjoyed.
March 28th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Near the beginning of the movie when Mario and Neruda were outside by the beach, they had their first conversation about metaphor. This struck me as being very important. Until this conversation, Mario had no true understanding about what a metaphor was. This was obvious in the way he did not see the beauty of his own hometown (which was amazingly beautiful). Neruda was the encouragement that Mario never had but definitely needed. He installed him with new ideas about life and meaning through metaphor; things are much easier understood this way. Once Mario began to learn more, he became intrigued with poetry. Because of this, he thought of his own metaphors for his surroundings, as well as people in his life (Beatrice). This helped him to obtain new relationships, find himself and even learn to appreciate the world in which he lived. The movie ended with his final poem dedicated to Neruda; he included all of the things he had learned from his role model (Neruda) and it was beautifully stated.
March 28th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
I thought that the movie brought a new perspective to poetry. It really shows the importance of the metaphor and that it can be found in everyday life to express something that one may feel deeply about. It also shows how someone can be so deeply touched by the world that is said. It was said many times how poetry influences women because it quenches their desire for sentimentality. Poetry seems to be the language of deep expression. There was a point in the movie where the main character says that poetry is not only for those who write it but also for those who need it. It would seem as though that poetry was the only thing that could adequately describe how he felt about Beatrice. There were often times where the poet would be with his wife and it would seem as though they are very much in love. I feel as though Mario takes it from the fact that he is a poet. This again reigns in his belief that poetry can woo any woman, and in the case of the movie it seems to be proven true.
March 28th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
First of all i would like to say that i loved watching this movie. Besides the relation to class this movie was just entertaining. We have talked about metaphors extensively in class and i thought the movie was a great illustration of the human need for metaphor. Without the metaphor humans would struggle to identify with the feelings they feel and would be at times at a loss for an avenue of expression. In the movie the “post man” searches for a way to express his love and infatuation to Beatrice. The metaphor gives him this medium to release the feelings and project the in an understandable way to Beatrice. So, I really appreciated the way the movie showed this use of metaphor, especially with the humorous awkward postman character, Mario. Also, I appreciated the movies stance on material objects. Mario appreciated the emotion of life and did not get consumed with the material money aspect of life.
March 28th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Mario Ruoppolo learned a lot from Pablo Neruda. I agree with Annie that Neruda simply lived poetically. Ruoppolo did just tell Neruda that poetry, specifically metaphors would just come naturally in his writing. I agree with this because when I write poetry metaphors come so easily. Annie I liked what you said about how your mind makes a connection between what you’ve seen and something you’ve experienced. I think our mind always thinks in metaphors. Always! Annie I also liked your thoughts about Neruda said “When you explain poetry, it becomes banal,” to Ruoppolo. This is so true. Sometimes you can’t try and figure out poetry you just have to simply let it be. I totally agree with you, there is a lot of truth to that statement. (Also, I never knew what the word banal meant and that cleared it up so I did not have to look it up). I don’t agree though that when poetry is explained it becomes boring I think it does help raise alertness as we read however I think Neruda’s main point is that poetry is what it is.
March 28th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
I love this movie so far, the way that they present poetry is so pure and genuine and the plot i think is good too. IN the manner that Pablo explained poetry and its various parts to Mario he made it seem so simplistic. I am not sure if it was because it was a poet explaining poetry or because it was poetry being explained in beautiful Italy or a combination of both but the true meaning seemed to stick out in this movie. I also loved how the movie so wonderfully answered the hard questions of poems as well. For example, when Mario asks Pablo what it meant to want to not live any longer and why he cried at the barber shop, Pablo simply says that it is something that you must feel and something that comes from within, and con not be explained. It was really neat though to watch Mario learn about poetry and see the natural inclination of the human soul towards poetry expand. The fact that Mario was such a simpleton and yet still was able to grasp and relate to poetry showed how poetry really goes deeper than just understanding but goes into feeling. The last thing that i can say i really liked about this movie was just the fact that poetry changed so much in the plot. Mario was inspired by to marry, Pablo inspired a nation with it and whole towns looked to it as a special thing. The overall weight that poetry had in this movie was encouraging and nice to see.
March 28th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Everything about this movie was centered on poetry and metaphors. The scenery and images of the ocean with the waves and sounds of the nature surrounded and boosted the meanings behind the poems and metaphors in the movie. The music in the movie emphasized the theme as well. Whenever Neruda spoke, or explained things to Mario, he said it in a metaphor. The diction of the movie is also very poetic. One thing that stuck out to me was the relationship between Neruda and Mario. Their communication was based on metaphors. When Neruda explained what a metaphor was to Mario he used the example of the sky weeping as a reference to rain. Whenever they would talk about Beatrice, or any subject, they would speak about it in metaphors. Metaphors were how Mario confessed his love for Beatrice. This movie also showed how poets can get their inspiration and where it comes from.
March 28th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
One aspect of this film that still strikes me as interesting even after walking away from the film is the way in which Neruda always speaks in such a poetic way. I think the Italian language used in this film contributes to his poetic voice, but the core of his poeticism lies within the words and phrases he composes even in his everyday language. From a director’s perspective, I think this character trait was very purposeful on his or her part in order to help to set apart Neruda from the rest of the cast in this film. The other characters in the film such as Mario, his father, and Beatrice’s aunt all had very choppy and less clear language which indirectly compliments and puts on display the beauty of Neruda’s elegant speech. Another character trait that added separation between Neruda and the other members of the village was the level of thoughtfulness that was implied through each character. While many of the characters simply threw out a response and quick, harsh words, Neruda often paused and offered a more flowing and experienced layer on the words that he contributed to conversations in this film. Neruda stood apart from all other characters in this plot and these character traits helped to define this separation.
March 28th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
I loved getting to watch and listen to Il Postino and to simply get a feel for the language. I could not help but see the ways in which the Italian language lended itself to the art form of poetry, especially the Italian sonnet. In addition, not only the Italian language but the Italian culture and setting lend themselves fully to this art form as well. The beauty, the diversity, the people… all beautiful in their own ways.
I also loved the ways in which Mario in his innocence, truly understood the ways in which poetry lended itself to the heart of people and therefore to their emotions and to love.
Finally, I loved the way in which while Pablo was obviously the more educated and well known character, that Mario was still able to teach him something about life and living simply. I believe he was also able to teach Pablo about innocence and the impact that one individual can have on another’s whole life.
March 28th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
The central love relationship of the movie Il Postino is very interesting because it is very different from relationships in most movies. The trajectory of the relationship is abnormal and even comical at times throughout the film. At first Mario is quite ackward around Beatrice and doesn’t say much at all. Later he speaks to her mainly through “his” poetry, which if often really Neruda’s. Although she doesn’t seem to take notice of him at first, Beatrice is ultimately attracted by Mario’s poetic nature. She appreciates his metaphors about her. After Mario and Beatrice get maried the film doesn’t really focus any longer on their relationship, which in some ways I think is sad. The last section of the movie is concerned more with Mario’s deep friendship with Neruda and his recognition of the beauty of his own island. Mario’s death shortly before his son is born is quite upsetting. However, I found it very interesting that Beatrice decided to name the child Pablino in accordance with Mario’s wishes, even though she herself didn’t like the name. I think it is also very interesting to note that Martio’s entire life is drastically changed by his friendship with Naruda. His happiness in his relationship with Beatrice would never have existed had it not been for his introduction to the world of poetry and metaphor.
March 29th, 2008 at 9:29 am
This movie is a beautiful way to show the power of metaphors. I believe that the movie is trying to say that metaphors are in everyone and that everyday people come up with metaphors, we just don’t realize it. I also believe that it is saying that life is a metaphor and that we need to find what our life metaphor is.
I gained a new appreciation for the beauty of words and the way that they can captivate people. Mario really seemed to have the perfect willing heart to understand what metaphors are. He also was so willing to see the beauty in the world through Neruda’s eyes. He wanted to be taught, and he wanted to learn to enjoy the world as it is. He wanted to find the beauty in the simple things. The theme in this movie seemed to be simplistic beauty. From the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, to the peace of night, Mario seems to capture the simple beauty while he makes the tape in the last few scenes. Captivating!
March 29th, 2008 at 9:49 am
After viewing this film in its entirety I’ve come to see the poetry that truly can be found within a movie. I tried to think of a scene or something that was said that really stood out to me, and the part that comes to mind is when Mario is creating the recording of the beauty of the island. Only once Neruda leaves can Mario truly begin to seek out the beauty that surrounds him. Only then does he really begin writing poetry. I think he needed to be on his own, he needed to stop being able to ask Neruda questions, he needed to just get out there and experience the beauty of his island. The part of the recording that seemed somewhat useless while I was watching the film was the blanket of stars, but as I thought about it more, I realized how beautiful that part of the recording really was. For someone that has experienced the stars that cover the night sky over the island night after night, he was truly seeing how beautiful they were. Although no one could see the stars once Mario recorded them, if you had seen them before in the silence you would undoubtedly imagine them again. Overall I really enjoyed the movie. I loved the metaphors that were throughout, and I loved the beauty that could be found in the simplest moments of the movie.
March 29th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
The film “Il Postino” describes the life of a man named Mario whose life is greatly influenced by poet. Mario does not want to follow in his father’s footsteps, to assume the role of a fisherman. This, in my opinion is a symbol. A fisherman, in Mario’s eyes, is a static job that is un-exciting and monotonous. From what I can recall, when the camera would pan to the fishermen, they would have their boats close to the shore, and not freely sailing across the waters. This reinforces the idea that by being a fisherman, you are restrained and contained within a small box. Mario talks about living in America and all of the wonderful things that can be found there, cars for example. Mario describes the fishing nets as “sad,” and why would someone pick this particular word to describe a net. He obviously has his own opinions about fishing, and wants no part in becoming a fisherman. The film enables the audience to wrestle with poetry, its meaning, purpose, and how it is developed by the dialogue that occurs between Mario and Neruda. Neruda reveals the structure and rules that are used in developing pieces of poetry, specifically metaphors. At first, Mario doesn’t understand what metaphors are and how they are constructed, but Neruda instructs Mario and provides him with various examples. Mario uses metaphors to win the affection and love of Beatrice. Metaphors are also looked down upon, especially by the aunt of Beatrice, who misinterprets the poems Mario composes. She views them as literal, but poetry attempts to contain emotions and ideals within language, which at times seem incapable of fully expressing the intangible. The relationship that develops between Beatrice and Mario is born out of language, Mario’s use of poetry causes Beatrice to imagine and use her mind, and at its very beginning, the relationship is built upon emotion, not a physical relationship. Interest turns to love, and the two are wed, and Beatrice eventually becomes pregnant. The relationship began as nothing, Beatrice appearing more rough in behavior, but physically beautiful. Mario is captivated by her beauty and uses poetry to steal her heart. He is successful, and begins a new life. Something that pleases his father and makes others take notice of him.
March 29th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
This film strives to help the viewer better understand metaphor and beauty and more importantly the connection between the two. Just like so many of us, Mario searches for a deeper understanding of the world. He is drawn to the poet Neruda, he wants the understanding that Neruda offers. Neruda’s poems and metaphors draw women to him. Mario wants to learn all about poems and metaphors, almost as though having that knowledge will make him a better person. The beauty of it all is that there is nothing to learn. Understanding and beauty comes when you pause and take a break from the world around you. Mario’s town was so simple, plan, dirty, and small. He came from a simple background, but he saw the beauty in life. He didn’t need a certain kind of knowledge, but the metaphors helped him to see the beauty. I love the picture it portrays that anyone can make metaphors. Its not for the rich or smart or famous. But rather it is something that brings us all together, awakens us to the simple yet magnificent beauty of the things around us.
March 30th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
I am utterly astonished by Mario and Beatrice’s very hasty marriage. I don’t claim to know anything about Italian courtship traditions, but holy cow! that was quick. All that Mario does to win over Beatrice–the prettiest girl in town–is write a couple of poems, and all of a sudden Beatrice is head over heels in love with the (nearly) unemployed oldest bachelor in the village. I wonder, of course, if love can really “happen” so quickly, but more significantly, I wonder at the strength of a metaphor. Are metaphors really so potent as to cause a gorgeous woman to fall in love with an entirely mediocre man? Can metaphors really move us in these powerful ways? I do not at all doubt the power of an especially appropriate metaphor; however, it seems odd to me to allow such a subjective artistic representation to express our emotions accurately.
March 30th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I thought this movie was really cute, but I found it ironic that Mario thought that it would poems and ’sweet nothings’ that would catch a woman’s eye or attention, but when he met his love, wasn’t it just by him sitting there? I’m the poetry helped him to woah her or seal the deal but she was attracted to him, alone, without the sweet metaphors, or whispers in her ear, she fell in love with him and not just his words, just I thought was really sweet. I will also comment on the end when Neruda left to go back to his country, I could kind of pick out a metaphor with him not keeping in touch with Mario. When Mario was his mailman his life was kind of easy going and he really did not have much going for himself, until Mario gave him confidence and strength to be on his own. After he left he did not keep in touch with Mario the way he had hoped, but when Mario received his first letter ever, and it was not from his dear friend, I felt like that was a sign of Mario’s independence; even thought everyone else was upset and took it as an insult, I feel like Mario knew that Neruda was confident in him. ( this is based off not seeing the complete end of the movie) It was also nice to see Mario’s father speak at the wedding, when in the beginning of the movie, Mario could not get two words out of him. It was like Mario became the man that his father wanted him to be, but didn’t have the capabilities to teach him, which made Neruda’s influence so much more important. He was like a father/best friend figure to Mario. Cute
March 31st, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Il Postino…
As a Film major, I watch films and usually critique them with a very strong eye. When I heard that we were going to be watching a movie in Poetry class, I was a tiny bit skeptical due to the fact that I have seen my share of “Art and Expressive” type films in some of the film classes they offer here at Messiah.
To my utter delight, IL Postino started off on a very beautiful beat! The shot with the sailboats coming in to port during “Magic Hour” (the best time to film during a certain portion of the day due to the sun’s location, it is either when the sun is just rising or just setting) was a brilliant way to introduce the location/atmosphere… giving the audience a pure palette in which to paint their imaginations on.
Along with a wonderful setting the film gives us a wonderful cast in which we can grasp onto and relate with. Mario was very the perfect example of an off-beat protagonist. He was very unsure of his life and what he wanted to do with it. This allows complete shift or change to his character as the narrative continues to develop.
Pablo Neruda fills the void in Mario’s world in the sense that he gives him purpose and ambition in the aspect of what he wanted to pursue in this life.
The use of metaphors was phenomenal! This movie was like a bowl of exotic fruits. There was so much there that I think I need a second helping if you know what I mean. The dialogue and relationship between Pablo and Mario was like watching a mighty oak tree grow. At the beginning you think that “wow, there is one poor shmuck who will never turn into anything, and wow there is a really wonderful poet who looks like his life is going by smoothly… there is no way Pablo will ever befriend Marion!”
But given time and a little “watering and sunlight” Mario made himself noticed and got the relationship growing.
To see where both of these characters have started out and to see the relational progression through the film was one delicious treat that I will enjoy eating again in the near future!
I have read that this film has won all sorts of awards. Everyone was well deserved!
I think it was the idea of a remote little island, people who’s lives didn’t amount to much, but in the end it was the one little guy who was put in an extraordinary situation, meeting a “poet”, and tried to make the biggest difference of them all… this was the aspect I thoroughly enjoyed~
Bravissimo~
March 31st, 2008 at 7:17 pm
Discovery and development of metaphors defines the life of the famous communist poet, Pablo, in Il Postemo. He teaches his curious postman, Mario, the ways of the poet. The viewer learns that making a metaphor is a spontaneous act. Strolling down the shore, staring at the moon, looking at things of beauty are all necessary as one waits for a metaphor, and presto. The postman’s first metaphor, “your smile spreads like a butterfly”, written for his beloved Beatrice.
This is a beautiful story, filled with shots of the Italian shore and a little fishing village. The fishermen live on this island without running water, and there are constant political debates and elections. This movie shows that no matter what the government controls, the land will remain the same. Always beautiful, always natural. Pablo was visiting the Island and seeing it for the first time easily viewed it as a natural marvel. He had to teach Mario, a native inhabitant, how to see it for the beauty it was. It works, and the end of the film concludes with Mario’s audio recording of marvels of his little island.
April 1st, 2008 at 9:15 pm
I enjoyed the film for a lot of reasons, but it was mostly its view of poetry itself that made me think. I liked how it was not necessarily the poetry itself, but the thought and movement behind the poetry that really made it come alive. It was not the words, but the sense of feeling and ability to express one’s mind due to the ability of poetry to open the eyes to other things that was the real capturing point of the film for me.
I have had similar experience. When I started to write poetry, I assumed it was to express myself and the things I saw in this world that needed to be changed. I did not know or think, however, that I would slowly become trained in having an open, observant mind towards all things. I could look more analytically at things and use mords and phrases that explained them better, even to myself. There is a sense of clarity of purpose and clarity of expression that comes from the discipline of poetic writing that is hard to find elswhere.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:56 am
What a great film. Ms. Perrin was absolutely correct, the most “poetic” thing about it was just listening to Italian conversations - what a beautiful language. It reminded me of being in Germany this summer - obviously German is quite a bit different, but it is still important I think for Americans to spend at least some time in a place where nobody speaks their language - it really is a humbling and interesting experience, since I could understand about three words of German at the time. Trying to hold a conversation with “danke” and “gesundheit” is just a bit limiting. The story was also very beautiful, and if it proved anything it is that anyone and everyone is a poet in their own way. It was curious how Mario did not find a real need for poetry, even though he was curious about it, until he fell in love. It was this woman who provided him with the inspiration to begin writing poetry to her. In that way she was his “muse”, even though at the time she had no idea about it. Pablo is such a great character also… he starts off the story as the mysterious communist poet, Mario is awed and afraid to speak to him, but he eventually finds him very personable, and he quickly becomes a friend and mentor. By the end of the film, Pablo is the most endearing character, as Mario thinks of him daily and eventually is killed furthering the mission that Pablo first began in him. The one thing that I see myself remembering from this film is the way the word metaphor sounds in Italian, which was used often in the film.
April 16th, 2008 at 1:57 am
Il Postino. Personification used in such a wonderful manner. Giving life and meaning to everything that surrounds us is a wonderful way to live. “When you say the sky is weeping what do you mean? It’s raining. See that’s a metaphor.” After viewing this film, it is hard to determine what exactly constitutes as a metaphor. Therefore every new thing in life is new inspiration and a new opportunity to seize the moment. Such as Mario lived his life. He was always so inquisitive and wanted to know more. I remember Pablo telling him that if he explained everything to him, the poetry and metaphors would lose more and more of their meaning. The artist must explore and find where the art takes them. I can definitely relate to this. I feel as if structured practicing takes away from expression, and music professors tend to work more on technical things rather than the feelings and the mood of a piece. I treat every new song or solo work with the same delicate care. I am always willing to seek out the things that make my art form worth pursuing.
Certain things in this film just struck me and I was compelled to jot them down in my notes. I noticed that the viewer was constantly being pulled between graphic imagery that was heart-wrenching or that was utterly breath taking with its beauty. The two quotes that stood out the most for me were “Walk as far as the shore, and these metaphors will come to you.” and “In Russia, communists eat babies…How can he be a catholic???” I just can’t imagine going mentally from that place in time to the other without a breath of fresh air.
Sometimes the gentleness of a foreign language will help us connect better to words in the English language. In French, the word they use for love is “adore.” It means a lot more for someone to adore you than to love you in the French culture. In Il Postino, the word metaphor was used quite a bit and by the end of the film I think that we all had a sense of how these tiny comparisons had impacted Mario Ruoppolo, Pablo Neruda, and Beatrice. (whose “smile spread like a butterfly”)
Again, such beautiful imagery. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this. I can now say that I view my connections between art and nature as something more sacred and to be cherished, after seeing this film.
April 18th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
I thought that this movie was great. The imagery that I loved the most about this movie was how Pablo saw the island as this beautiful place, where as Mario saw the island as this boring old town where all anyone did was fish. I loved this comparision because we can comapre it to our lives. My one friend who lives in St. Kitts just thinks of his home as an island. But when I visit him, I think how wonderful everything is jsut becuase I did not grow up with exotic fruits and animals, and did not live beside a beach. When he came to visit me, he thought the Potomic River was fabulous. I never thought of this River as beautiful because I lived next to it my whole life, but when he explained why he thought it was lovely, I learned to admire it as well. This was the imagery that I loved. The comparision between Mario and Paublo.